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Élisabeth Victoire Louise de Nassau
Louise, Marquise Douairière de Louisbourg '(Élisabeth Victoire Louise de Wurtembergeois; née de Nassau)was a Grandelumièrian courtier and noblewoman, and the former ''Marquise de Louisbourg(later Marquise Douairière de Louisbourg). Wife of the late Melchior, Marquis de Louisbourg, Louise was a respected courtier and member of the Nassau and Wurtembergeois families. The eldest daughter of the Comte and Comtesse de Beilroche, she was known formerly as the ''Mademoiselle de Beilroche''until her marriage. Biography '''Early Life Birth The morning of 5th September 1649 came, and a late summer breeze blew across the fields surrounding the quaint Château de Hadamar. The Duc de Nassau''and his sons were hosting a hunt to celebrate the end of summer before their return to the court at Roumansalle, with their journey for Paris set to begin in a matter of a week. The ''Duchesse de Nassau''and the ladies of her family, including her daughter-in-law, the ''Comtesse de Beilroche, had watched the men depart for their hunt around noon, and adjourned to a garden pavilion for luncheon. While in the middle of the soup course, the Comtesse began to clutch at her stomach, experiencing mild contractions. Within moments, she was in full labor. A physician was sent for, and a carriage from the main château was prepared for the Comtesse, who was escorted back to her chambers at the château. Within half of an hour, the Comtesse's husband had arrived back from the hunt, with the rest of the men not far off, arriving moments later with the physician. The Nassau family and their companions gathered in the room for six long hours. The white, pressed sheets prepared by the nurses, fixed over the fine furnishings surrounding the Comtesse's bed, served necessary only to a moderate degree, as the birth was not expected to be a struggle. Finally, by mid-evening, approximately 6:28pm, the halls echoed with the resounding cries of an infant. A child had been born unto the Nassau family. The Comte and Comtesse, who already had a son two years prior, were quite pleased to have a daughter, who was seen by her grandfather as a "bundle of jubilation". A full name was not decided at first, though the dear girl was called "Louise" by her family. She was styled as the Mademoiselle de Beilroche, and would later be baptized as Élisabeth Victoire Louise de Nassau. Life at Hadamar Childhood was a blessing for Louise, though naturally, as any child, she was unaware of such ignorant bliss that she indulged in for much of the first few years of her life. The spacious gardens, the presence other jubilant and precocious young Nassau children, such as her brother, François, and the overall jovial atmosphere of Hadamar cast an innocent glow on Louise's formative years. The gardens of Hadamar provided for peaceful readings with the Baronne de Venerque, the Nassau children's governess, and afternoon strolls. "Madame V", as the Baronne de Venerque''was addressed affectionately by Louise and her siblings, was a rather matronly figure. Upon her being appointed as the governess, she was already nearing the age of forty and had a family, but the Nassau children consumed nearly all of Madame V's time with their youthful needs and their affection for her as a ''deuxième mère. Louise resided at Hadamar with her siblings and her widowed great-grandmother (the Duchesse Douairière de Nassau, known as Grandmère de Nassau), as well as the less relevant and extended members of the Nassau family and its branches, which did not attend court in Paris, for quite some time. Her informal, rudimentary education began right in the halls of Hadamar. She was to be brought up as a proper dame, with the poise and grace of a princesse étranger. As Grandmère de Nassau and Louise bonded, their relationship became one of merriment. Louise adored her great-grandmother, and often sought advice from her. Education As a princesse étranger, Louise was sent away at the age of 9 for her formal education. Louise's mother was insistent that Louise study where she had once studied personally: L'Abbey de Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The Comte de Beilroche''agreed that the abbey would be suitable for young Louise, and thus she was prepared for departure on 27th September 1658 at Hadamar. Her farewell-wishers included her siblings, François and Catherine, Madame V, and Grandmère de Nassau. As the Nassau carriage arrived, polished and grand in the streaming sunlight, Grandmère de Nassau, through obvious melancholy and attempts at restraining her softened tears, uttered to her great-granddaughter, ''"May the Divine spirits watch and bless upon you good will and luck in the highest; a fille of grand supremacy in dignity, may you prosper in a life of God and preparation for your Sacred marital duties. Do not deign to forget one's basis and structural morality, for it is a déclassé mistake that not a soul can afford in its costly, mundane consequence." The abbey received Louise well, and Louise received the abbey well in return. The grand abbey captivated Louise's attention as she rumbled down the roads of the abbey grounds, and she immediately felt quite comfortable at her new residence--a holy one at that. The Nassau family wrote to Louise somewhat frequently, though often asking more of her etiquette and theological studies as opposed to her general well-being. Grandmère de Nassau wrote the most frequently, however, and in her correspondence with her dearest Louise, she inquired of her welfare and her opinions on the abbey, and rarely lacked in her frequent letters, often sending several within a three-week period. Louise was a promising young student. The abbess and nuns at Saint Germain adored the young "Nassau girl" that strived so heavily for success. She was seen as mentally sound and a sensible young girl, one that exhibited great poise and potential. Theological studies were of interest to Louise, and she was strictly pious for most of her life, thanks to her studies. Etiquette and matters of a noblewoman and courtier's lifestyle came seemingly naturally to Louise, as if being a graceful courtier was an innate destiny of hers, to the delight of Grandmère de Nassau and the Nassau family. When the Mademoiselle de Idroche''fell in August of 1659, Louise demanded to visit her sister, and kept her strong will about her until the abbey and her family relented. She was strong at the side of her ailing younger sister, who would pass whilst clutching Louise's hand in early September. Louise was growing and developing rapidly into a courtier-to-be, and she was becoming accustomed to witnessing the hardships of life thanks to her charitable endeavors within the abbey, and visiting her ill sister at the tender age of but ten years. During a blizzard in January of 1663, Louise received absolutely no correspondence from her family except a letter from her mother at Marie II's court in Paris, which barely made it to the abbey. Louise assumed the lack of correspondence from her great-grandmother was due to the blizzard. She was not incorrect completely; however, unbeknownst to Louise, the Grandmère de Nassau had been stricken with an infection after falling in the gardens of Hadamar while on a walk. She was rendered bedridden and therefore did not recover to a point where she could write until March of 1660, when she wrote a very sumptuous letter to Louise and offered guidance in her theological studies, blaming her lack of correspondence on a mere "pesky cold" and the terrible weather. It was during this time with no communication to her family that Louise began to develop as a young woman, and she began to heavily prepare for her arrival at court the following year. '''Presentation' The Comte de Beilroche''arrived at Saint Germain in July of 1664. Louise was greatly pleased to see her father, and he had quite shocking news. The ''Duc de Nassau, Louise's dear grandfather, had orchestrated a betrothal between Louise and Charles-Guillaume Melchior de Wurtembergeois, the Marquis de Louisbourg. It was determined that Louise would be introduced to the court of Impératrice Marie II on 22nd September 1664. Louise was "excitedly anxious" regarding her marriage, and wrote to Grandmère de Nassau with contained delight. Though a conservative young girl, Louise wrote, "I do have the ill-spirited and oft-guided tendency to curiously conjure a marital philosophy in my mind: am I but a trophy, hunted and cast to its capture, to display for the splendor of approval of other parties, only to glimmer and shine until I am but a dullard, mundane old dame, widowed with the disparity of youth past? Might I have a career of a courtly woman and internal fulfillment? Oh, woe am I, Grandmère de Nassau, for I wish naught more than to be relieved of my apprehensions and doubts." As her presentation loomed, Louise traveled home to the Château de Hadamar''to begin preparing. Her finest gowns were packed with her prized possessions, and the ''Comte and Comtesse de Beilroche''ensured that the journey into Paris would be swift and smooth for the young Louise. It was after she had finally packed that Louise prepared to say farewell to her siblings and Madame V. On 20th September, Louise and her parents' belongings were loaded into a carriage with Paris as the destination. After her parents had taken their seats, Louise stood and awaited the now very elderly ''Duchesse Douairière de Nassau, her dearest Grandmère de Nassau, who cautiously proceeded to Louise. She pecked each cheek and handed her a small box with a bow around it--inside the box was a double string of fine mother-of-pearls. Grandmère de Nassau bid one final farewell with a warm embrace, saying, "My dearest Louise...oh, what grandeur and splendor await you. My sincerest wishes are with you in your very soul. May God watch over you and do remember the place of a wife and the duties thereof. Most importantly...remember your heart's intent above all else, no matter the strife; your heart will guide all duty. ''The Comte called for Louise, who swiftly boarded the carriage, offering one final wave to the Nassaus gathered to see her off. The Beilroche carriage arrived at the Palais de Roumansalle in the early morning hours of 22nd September. Quickly, Louise was rushed to her parents' chambers in the attic of the palais, and dames began to tend to her. Her gentle, blond hair was flourishing in luscious curls around her head, gentle rouges and makeups applied to her skin as if she were a polished, porcelain doll; she was fitted into a white damask gown with ruby-red ribbons and bows; atop her head rested a wreath of red roses. She was then escorted to the audience room of Imperatrice Marie II, where her mother and father proudly presented their blushing daughter. Louise's fiancé, Melchior de Wurtembergeois, was present with his brother, the ''Duc de Wurtembergeois. Melchior was quite pleased with his bride, and they spent the afternoon together--supervised, naturally, or the Comtesse would have had a fit right then and there--and were drawn to one another. Louise soon became a Fille d'Honneur of Marie II, as requested by her mother, and was officially on her legendary path as a renowned courtier and exemplary model of grace, elegance, and the ideal courtier in the eyes of the ever-pious Marie II. Marriage Melchior and Louise's wedding was held at the Palais de Roumansalle in the chapel. The ceremony was hosted by several clerics, one of which was a cousin of Melchior. Louise's hair was still in its signature curls, her lips thin and red, her cheeks as rosy as a garden, and atop her head was a tack of three pale blue feathers to match her pale blue damask dress, trimmed with white fur. She proceeded to the altar beside her fiancé and the ceremony commenced. Following the ceremony, the new Marquis & Marquise de Louisbourg''held a ceremony in the Nassau apartments, with many gifts being presented, many of which would serve later as mementos of her youth in Louise's elderly years. In attendance at the wedding ceremony was a multitude of Nassau and Wurtembergeois relatives, as well as close friends and fellow courtiers, namely; François de Nassau, ''Comte de Beilroche, and his wife, Élisabeth, Comtesse de Beilroche; the Duc & Duchesse de Nassau; Louise, Duchesse Douairière de Nassau; Matthieu, Duc de Wurtembergeois, and Bénigne, Duchesse de Wurtembergeois; Guillemine, Duchesse Douairière de Wurtembergeois; Armand, Duc de La Force, and Thérèse, Duchesse de La Force; Constantin, Duc de Montmorency, and Louise, Duchesse de Montmorency; Philippe, Électeur-Comte du Palatin du Rhin''and Bénédicte, ''Électrice-Comtesse du Palatin du Rhin; Hortense, Duchesse Douairière de Mortemart; and Françoise, Duchesse de Valois. The reception was well-received, with the guests and new couple enjoying the occasion thoroughly. As the night approached, the couple were left to their final marital duty for the day: consummation. Upon seeing each other undressed for the first time, Louise nearly fainted, turning "as pink as a carnation", as her husband described it. The couple would consummate several times during their first several months of marriage to ensure the birth of a child before the year ended. To their delight, a daughter was welcomed in December of 1665, and many children would follow after. Courtly Appointments WIP Courts of Marie II & Constantin X WIP Retirement WIP Death WIP Issue With her husband, Melchior de Wurtembergeois, Louise had numerous pregnancies. Throughout the course of her marriage (1665-1690), Louise had the following issue: * Irène-Pélagie Élisabeth de Wurtembergeois, Marquise Douairière de Royan ''(19th December 1665 - 9th June 1727) * '''Charles-Melchior Raphaël de Wurtembergeois, ''Évêque de Verdun & Comte de Hohenlohe(22nd February 1667 - 4th June 1689) * '''Catherine-Maxmilienne Adélaïde de Wurtembergeois, Marquise Douairière du Châtelet(29th October 1668 - present) * Stillborn Son '''(27th July 1669) * '''Marie-Éugenie Henriette, Mademoiselle de Heilbronn ''(18th August 1670 - 22nd February 1675) * '''Charles-François Louis', Comte de Heilbronn(18th August 1670 - 20th May 1682) * Louise-Élisabeth Fleurine, Comtesse de Cardaillac(18th September 1671 - present) * Marie-Oswaldine Guillemine, Duchesse Douairière de Saxe-Cobourg-Saale(7th May 1673 - present) * Miscarriage(24th August 1674) Titles, Styles, & Honors Titles & Styles 15th September 1649 - 19th February 1665: ''Son Altesse'', Mademoiselle de Beilroche 19th February 1665 - 27th April 1690: ''Son Altesse, Madame la Marquise de Louisbourg '''27th April 1690 - present: 'Son Altesse, ''Madame la Marquise Douairière de Louisbourg * '''31st May 1728 - present: 'Son Altesse, Madame la Dame de Waldenbourg